black belt 'generations'

[rmcrobertson]

Thanks for the thoughtful response.

First off, though, I think that, "natural, understandable and social response," is a contradiction in terms. I guess you're right about the anthro thing--but I think that all such stuff comes out of how human beings arrange to arrange their world.

Here's what I'm reading in the posts on the subject--it isn't just, "Hi, howya doin'," but more like dogs buttsniffing. Maybe they'll be buddies, maybe they'll fight--but it's a power question, looks like to me, and a boy's power question at that.

I do think that the discussion gets linked to questions about who's kung fu is strongest, based on what I'm reading. I also think that the matter's a lot more twisty and convoluted than that--my first teacher was one of Larry Tatum's students, who tested for her black under him and Mr. Parker. For a while, I was taught by Scott Higgins and Ms. Wasserberger, and Scott trained under Larry only. All these people are my age, and now, I'm one of Mr. Tatum's students...so which generation's that? Or are we just doing strata--1950s, 1960s, etc...?

Then too, maybe it's guilt. I watch these guys, and I feel like Adam's great-grandkids--you know, they were giants in the Earth in those days, and I am the product of a Fallen universe...

 

[cdhall]

Originally posted by rmcrobertson
Thanks for the thoughtful response.

Ditto.

I think we are looking at it differently.
I know that I explained how and why I do this stuff. Historical/social curiosity particularly since I "switched into" American Kenpo.

A student can be better than their teacher because a teacher helps shorten the learning curve. And a student may be more talented than his teacher. So the idea of "your teacher stinks, you stink" is not valid. Working out with someone is the only way to tell what their Kung-Fu is like.

I confess I have rose-colored glasses and that I am also naive. Otherwise I would not even be on this board!

But believe me, some of us ask this stuff just to try to "arrange the world" for aesthetic purposes. I never ask someone about their lineage as a preparation to a challenge of "surrender or fight" or anything like that.
:rofl:

You make excellent points and I know that things happen that way but you can only judge an individual based on their performance.

That being said, knowing where some people come from "warns me" that they may be sloppy, have no control, not know the principles, be better than me, be faster than me, etc. But that just helps me find a context to work in. A frame of reference.

Several times I have met someone who I thought would be "no good" only to see that they were better than I thought. And I've also met people I was afraid were just going to destroy me only to find out that they were very precise and well-controlled.

The proof is in the pudding as they say. But I find it useful to know what type of pudding it is before I test it for myself

If that makes any sense.
:asian: